Sichuan Pandas and Mountain Monastaries

Cute Chinese kid at Chengdu temple
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The western province of Sichuan is one the most famous and populous provinces in China (85 million). Chengdu is one of two main cities in Sichuan and I used it as a base for the week I spent there. Sichuan was my return to the west of China, after a 2.5 hour flight due west from Shanghai. Chengdu is located on the vast Sichuan plain, just east of the soaring ridges of the Himalayas which climb to the Tibetan plateau.

At the same population size as Toronto, Chengdu was quite compact, clean and civilized compared to so much of the rest of China. No touts, less honking, cleaner (though not clean) air and a friendly and efficient vibe. It is also a great place to get spicy Sichuan food. Known as 'schezuan' (sp?) food back home, it is considerably more spicy here. The best way to experience it is by trying Sichuan hotpot, which is essentially a spicy oil fondue pot with chili peppers floating in it. Thankfully, they give you an oil dipping sauce which reduces the heat. Nonetheless, you feel the searing heat in your mouth and down low the next morning. Not uncommon on a hotpot menu in Sichuan is pig brain, animal blood, chicken feet, pig joint, pig stomach...you get the delicious point. I stuck to ham, beef, sausage, bamboo and vegetables. I did order eel and clearly a living eel had just been cut up and what was left of it and its blood were just dropped into the pot. It was all good. Took me three beers (large bottles) to get through it all, though, to the amusement of all the girls working in the restuarant. That and the look of horror I gave them when they mistakingly brought the animal blood to the table.

A Chinese province I can like...

Incense and candles at Emei Shan monastary
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Chengdu is most famous for its Panda Research Centre, just outside of the city. The mountains of Sichuan province are one of the key remaining areas in China where the 1000 or so remaining wild pandas survive. They are a particular lot, eating only select types of bamboo that grow only between 2500 and 3500m in elevation and they are able to mate only a few days a year. That and their rapidly disappearing habitat has led to their endangered status. To the credit of the Chinese, they have invested considerable money and effort to protect remaining habitat and to fund the research centre which has produced about 40 pandas in captivity in the past 30 years. I guess they have no choice when the panda is a symbol of the country and so many other things (company logos, cigarettes, Olympic mascot, WWF, etc.).

The Grand Buddha, face.
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The visit to the research centre was well worth the early wake-up call. The pandas, which sleep most of the day, were up in the morning chewing away on bamboo with contented and ruthless efficiency, and play-fighting with each other. They have a sitting manner as they chew that looks very comfortable and lazy at the same time. Almost like they are sitting on a La-Z-Boy with their feet up (see pictures).

The rest of my time, when I was not wandering Chengdu and visiting its parks and temples, I headed out of town to Leshan to visit the 71m (not feet, I think) Buddha which is carved out of a cliff face over a river and to Emai Shan (Emai Mountain), one of China's four buddhist mountains. Leshan was looking like a good day trip on account of the absence of Chinese tour groups I saw as I wandered the city from the bus station to the Buddha. I was still in good spirits despite the whopping 120Yuan ($17Cdn) charge to see the Buddha (China has gotten wise to tourism and has jacked up all its prices). Still, I did not see any roving Chinese tour groups, so I was looking forward to starting at the Buddha head and climbing down the stairs on the cliff face to his feet for the whole view. As I crested the top and passed through gate leading to the Buddha head, I suddenly came upon a line of chattering and smoking Chinese tourists that curled back on itself 5 times like a bad airport check-in line. The air just exhaled from my lungs and my 3 day rally of decent China evaporated. I was bitter and annoyed by being surrounded by second-hand smoek and by being stuffed in this inching line. However, when in China, suck it up. After an hour in line, I finally made it to the edge of the cliff face for a full view of the Buddha head. I looked over the edge and realized that this procession of humanity was due to inch all the way down to the feet so far below. I gave up and got off the ride with only a picture of the smug Buddha head (see pictures). I was not going to have pictures of the whole Buddha and its feet, but at least I was going to have my sanity.

Prayer flags at a monastary at Emei Shan
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The next day I went for a three day sojourn to Emei Shan. It is a 3080 meter mountain from the top of which you can see the first ridges of the mountains that lead to the Himalayas, as well as the Sichuan plain leading to the east. The goal of many is to be at the top for sunrise, which often just means looking down at the clouds below, if you are lucky not to be in the clouds themselves. I had no interest in doing this, so I just hiked the mountain and dwelled in the monastaries. From its base of 500 meters to the top you climb an endless and taxing procession of slate steps. All along the way are a number of Buddhist temples and monastaries (it is one of China's buddhist mountains, after all). It generally takes 2-3 days to get up and down and you can stay overnight at the monastaries along the way. Of course, the Chinese have, as is their want, made life considerably easier for themselves. You can take a bus and cable car to the top in less than 2 hours. Why exert yourself or take off your high-heeled shoes, when you can burn fossil fuels and not sweat to get to the top for your obligatory photo-op. I really enjoyed Emei Shan because, except for the bottom and top, there are no chattering masses of Chinese tourists (as above, they don't walk; there were pilgrims, many elderly, who were to their great credit doing the walk) AND because this was the first time in 6 weeks in China that I had seen trees (I had seen individual trees, but no real collection of natural trees, let alone forest). Emei Shan is draped in a luxurious green carpet of trees that hang off its steep ridges. It is alive with the sounds of birds and crickets and the whole thing smacked of the forests I had seen in Costa Rica or Peru. It was absolutely fantastic. It was food for the soul eroded by the pollution so prevalent in China.

the pandas
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I got off the mountain having visited the quiet temples and monastaries, fully rejuvenated and even somewhat amused by China. Better still I enjoyed some great Sichuan food at the base of the mountain before jumping on the bus to Chengdu. But alas, this WAS China and reality was due to strike at any moment - and it did. The pendulum swung back and snapped me out of my pleasant buddhist stupor. I sat behind the driver and the sidekick (who takes money and barks the destination to prospective passengers on the side of the road) on the mini-bus back to Chengdu. In 2 hours and 15 minutes this driver horked 16 times and spat 14 times out the window; smoked 8 cigarettes which all blew back to me; threw 2 plastic bottles out the window; and chattered loudly with the sidekick. The sidekick is a bit of a health nut - he only smoked 5 cigarettes and his phlegm problem appeared to be more under control.

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So what to say about mainland China as I wrap up my time here? I would find it really hard to blithely recommend mainland China, particularly for extended periods of time or for travel to the major tourist sites which are overrun carnivals. Short trips might be easier to cope with, but I don't think you will ever find relaxation in much of mainland China. On the plus side, the food was great, Shanghai was a blast and Beijing is worth seeing. Some areas of the rural countryside, though gritty in their poverty, are beautiful and provide great insight into the past. Indeed there were moments of great insight into its glorious and rich past (i.e. before Mao) and tangible evidence of its surging and seemingly limitless future. There was also unbearable environmental abuse to be seen just about everywhere and the devastating and culture-erasing effects of Mao's ill-thought Great Leap Forward and subsequent Cultural Revolution. It seems as if much of this country is cut off from its cultural past. Despite Mao's face being everywhere, the Chinese do not seem to be fully aware that he was responsible for more deaths than Hitler or Stalin (let alone the lives he ruined with his purges) - all against the society he shaped when the Communists came to power in 1949.  I know this is harsh and sounds of a Western-centric view, but I have met very few travellers who have spent any amount of time here who disagree. I have met fewer still who say they will return (I would consider same, particularly Shanghai- though this blog may kai-bosh that).  I have had many entertaining conversations with fellow travellers where we all sat down over tea or beer to vent about our China experiences.

The real China - extracting dollars!
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Coming off Emei Shan was my last full day in China proper. The next day I fly to Tibet.